Academic Editor: Josef Jampílek
Background: The pandemic caused by the severe acute respiratory
syndrome coronavirus type 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is ongoing, and despite massive
vaccination campaigns, individuals continue to be infected with new SARS-CoV-2
variants. We studied the effects of ginseng, an immune-enhancing agent, on
conferring immunity against SARS-CoV-2 in transgenic mice expressing the
SARS-CoV-2 human angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptor.
Methods: Human ACE2-transgenic (ACE2-tg) mice were fed ginseng extract
for 180 days before they were intranasally infected with SARS-CoV-2. The
mortality and morbidity were monitored for 10 days. The amount of antiviral
interferon in the lung tissues was measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent
assay (ELISA) kits. Results: Thirty percent of the mice fed ginseng
extract prior to infection survived, whereas all those that were not fed ginseng
extract prior to infection died. Viral titers in the lungs were significantly
lower in mice fed ginseng extract than in those not fed ginseng extract. The
induction of antiviral interferon-gamma (IFN-